Dave Eagle

Posted on September 29, 2015

Kounta Takes a Position on Apple’s Latest: We’re Pro-iPad Pro

It’s that time of year again, when Apple fanatics line up to get a glimpse […]

Photo by thierry erman (Flickr)

It’s that time of year again, when Apple fanatics line up to get a glimpse of the latest release of magic from the creative minds out in California. I’m speaking, of course, about yet another Steve Jobs movie, which seem to come out like clockwork right around the time new Apple products are released. I’m not suggesting there’s some weird kind of corporate synergy going on here–Hollywood is a place where only the purest artists go to dream and create without a thought to baser things like “profit” or “merchandising.” It’s more likely that Jobs commissioned these movies through his will, and ordered them to coincide with Apple’s product announcements, because he loved the spotlight. Don’t worry, Steve’s ghost. We’ll never forget what a visionary you were, and we pretty much all knew you were a jerk to most people around you. We don’t need to be reminded every year with a new movie.

Photo courtesy of Brett Jordan (Flickr)

Besides, Apple unveiled its newest accomplishment last week, the thing that millions of people will be adding to their Christmas lists this year: the iPad Pro. It’s an interesting step in the evolution of the iPad. What started as a small, lightweight device meant to supplement the laptops we couldn’t be bothered to lug around, is now a slim and lightweight device meant to replace the laptops that I’m predicting will be obsolete in less than 5 years. Think about it: the 12.9 inch screen is a few tenths of an inch shy of the smallest Macbook, and every app uses the whole screen (no menus along the top, no dock hogging up the bottom). You can get a case that’s also a keyboard and it never needs charging. A processor powerful enough to edit HD videos with a 4K framerate, 128GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, office and productivity applications: there’s simply no reason that 99% of us will need a laptop or desktop ever again. And here’s another thought I had about the Pro, as it pertains to the types of small business owners who’ve been migrating to iPads for their POS. There’s no need to buy a laptop to manage your business and an iPad for your register. If you’re a small enough shop, they can be the same device that you bring back and forth with you. That might not be the most prudent way to run a business–single point of failure, anyone?–but I get a kick out of the fact that it’s possible. Of course, with an iPad Pro as your personal computing device, you’ve got an extremely portable backup register, should the need ever arise. And if you’re running Kounta, you’re already running on something that’ll work on the new iPad, with a sleek and complementary design that will look its best using every one of the 5.6 million pixels on that Retina display. Oh, and there’s also that nifty Apple Pencil, which is the perfect tool for getting customer signatures at an iPad POS. If you were looking for an excuse to get this newest and coolest of all gadgets, I just gave you one. It’s a legitimate business expense. You’re welcome.